Doctor calls for more bone, joint research

More physicians are needed for musculoskeletal research, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases said.

Dr. Stephen Katz wrote an editorial in the October edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research on the importance of the United States Bone and Joint Decade, 2002-2011, and the need for more physician-scientists to conduct clinical research.Katz said one in seven Americans is affected by musculoskeletal conditions, which are a leading cause of doctor visits.Katz said clinical research must continue on important areas such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, as one in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture.The Bone and Joint Decade is an international initiative including more than 90 concerned U.S. healthcare professional and patient organizations, as well more than 90 medical schools and colleges of medicine.Musculoskeletal conditions include arthritis, back pain, childhood musculoskeletal conditions, osteoporosis, and trauma.(Source: Washington Times, Sept 2004)